Conversation with Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence
On the second day of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities in Zakopane, a conversation was held with Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence. The interview was conducted by Tomasz Pietryga, Editor-in-Chief of Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
The first topic raised by Tomasz Pietryga concerned the government’s decision to purchase submarines.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that for many years sailors had been waiting for submarines, having only one until now. Today, the decision was made to purchase three submarines from Sweden. The navy is becoming one of the key components of our security architecture.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that there had also been offers from other countries—Italy, South Korea, France, and Spain. All offers were seriously analyzed. Poland had been considering the purchase of submarines for 30 years, and in 2030 the purchased vessels will arrive in Poland—while the first one is expected as early as 2027.
In the next part of the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that since Sweden and Finland joined NATO, the role of the Baltic Sea has changed. The Baltic has become a key basin for NATO.
Expanding on the issue of defence cooperation with Scandinavian countries, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed out that Poland is cooperating with Sweden on the early warning aircraft programme, and with Norway in the field of air and missile defence.
During the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister drew the audience’s attention to the fact that in just two days, the first Polish military satellite will launch aboard a Falcon rocket.
Responding to the editor-in-chief’s question about plans for the coming year, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz listed initiatives in cyber and crypto security, as well as the development of an anti-drone shield, among the key priorities. “A multi-layered drone defence system is our biggest challenge.”
Another important area of activity is investment in AI. The Minister of National Defence has established the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Implementation within the armed forces.
Continuing the conversation, Tomasz Pietryga asked whether defence investments would be linked with local governments.
“They have already begun to be linked,” replied the Deputy Prime Minister, who stated that national defence rests on three pillars:
- a strong army
- strong alliances
- a strong society.
“We will not, for example, build shelters in a single year, which means the need for long-term plans—in the implementation of which local governments are essential.” The second issue is the programme of universal voluntary defence training—so that everyone knows how to act in a situation of threat. And in implementing this programme, the role of local governments is once again crucial.
“Do you consider the possibility of reinstating mandatory military service?” was the next question directed to the Minister of National Defence. “I do not currently see the need to reinstate mandatory military service,” replied Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, while at the same time emphasizing the strong interest shown by Poles in defence training—significantly greater than in many other European countries.
